A 34-year-old-man from a party of three slipped while scrambling in a gully. He sustained spinal and wrist fractures, as well as suffering shock and cuts and bruises. He was stabilised at the scene and flown to Furness General Hospital by RAF Boulmer.
While trying to find a short cut to the previous incident, and avoid the slog up a steep hill, one vehicle full of team members came across a second incident. Although similar, it was completely unconnected to the first.
This location is becoming a favourite, and so are the circumstances. Lost in mist and unable to find their way off, this group of six used a mobile phone to ask for help. They were located by 'Paddy', a four-legged team member, and escorted off by some of our two legged team members. No one was injured. This was Paddy's first find.
The recurrence of an old knee injury meant that this 24-year-old man was unable to descend from Sergeant Man. We received slightly conflicting information as to his exact whereabouts, but eventually we found him and carried him off. Three members of RAF Leeming MRT who where in the area assisted.
A visiting senior policeman spotted a 'cylinder type' object under a stone and reported a bomb to Cumbria police. We (!) were sent to investigate and the Bomb Disposal people were alerted. We found the suspect device to be conventional smoke flare and carried it down. Everyone went home.
We picked this 26-year-old woman up in Mickleden after she had continued to descend after sustaining a pelvic injury. Despite the injury, she made good time and saved us going on to the hill.
Passing walkers discovered the body of a 49-year-old man. He had died of a heart attack. We were flown to the scene by RAF Boulmer and recovered his body to Ambleside.
A man collapsed with what was reported as a leg injury. Our diagnosis was a heart attack and we treated it accordingly. The leg pain was a consequence of the heart attack, not the cause of the problem. He was airlifted to Furness General Hospital.
A 90-year-old woman, who walked regularly along the lakeshore, was reported overdue for her lunch. A small search was organised when she was located by two fell runners and taken home. She had slipped and sustained minor head, leg and wrist injuries.
Four separated parties met up on the summit of Long Top and phoned for help on a mobile when they became disorientated and frightened. A couple of fast team members were sent to locate them and start the descent, and a couple of ploddy ones followed up with more lights, hot drinks and a nameless chocolate bar to assist with the walk off. The worrying thing was that several of the party should never have been there in the first place, due to lack of experience.
The team members who had managed to avoid the previous incident, (and we know who they were) were sent instead to Grizedale Tarn to check for the source of whistles that had been heard by two descending climbers. A search with dogs and personnel found nothing, but we later found out that an incident had occurred and the party had self-evacuated.
If ever we wanted to get revenge for the wild goose chase we had been sent on by Kendal MRT on the previous incident, then tonight was sweet. (We didn't really want revenge; it wasn't their fault). In the blue corner was an 18 stone, 6'8" man with a suspected fractured ankle, teamed up with icy conditions and darkness, and a long way from civilisation. In the red corner were LAMRT and Kendal MRT trying to rescue him. We did it, but it was a close fought battle and nearly a draw. Those involved took three or four days to recover and walk normally again.
We were asked to assist Kendal MRT in the search for a 30-year-old man who had gone for a 'short walk' at 12.30 and was now well overdue. Information we received suggested he was in Kentmere, or Scout Scar near Kendal. He was eventually located at Sandside, a small village on the coast, (it's miles away from where we were looking!) so we all went home. You just have to be philosophical at times like this.
Patterdale MRT requested our assistance with the evacuation of a 24-year-old woman from Fairfield. We made our way up to the Tarn and met them there in atrocious conditions and helped carry down into Grizedale and on to Patterdale. A late night for all those involved.
Heavy snow meant that the local ambulance could not attend an 11-year-old boy, who had slipped at an isolated outdoor centre. We went, armed with shovels and manpower and took him to Furness General Hospital.
The team was asked to assist Police and Ambulance with a 4 car crash in the snow just below Kirkstone summit. Road conditions were treacherous and our four-wheel drive vehicles, fitted with snow tires, are able to keep going long after others are stuck. All victims were transported to Ambleside for a check up by the Ambulance Paramedics and then arrangements were made for them to continue their journeys.
The team was requested to extend the area of the previous day's search for the same man. With help from Coniston and Furness MRT, Windermere Lake Warden, and Police divers we did this, and still found nothing. The man is still missing at the time of writing (January '99).
After a car was found by Police, abandoned, we were asked to search the Lakeshore for this man, who was suspected suicidal. With help from SARDA we did this and found nothing.
A man heard cries for help on Red Screes for a period of time, so raised the alarm. A search revealed a man and woman "cooing" to each other. They were asked to go and "coo" elsewhere so as not to confuse innocent passers-by and busy Mountain Rescue Teams. Plonkers.
A man phoned on a mobile phone to say he and his wife were lost and could we give him directions. Now we've been through this before! If you don't know were you are, it's very difficult for us to work out where you are. Fortunately a passing walker, who did know where he was, was able to direct this couple to safety. This type of incident seemed to be on the decline, so it was nice to be reminded that it could still happen. To our surprise, they declined our invitation to a debrief in Ambleside!
A man phoned on a mobile phone to say he and his wife were lost and could we give him directions. Now we've been through this before! If you don't know were you are, it's very difficult for us to work out where you are. Fortunately a passing walker, who did know where he was, was able to direct this couple to safety. This type of incident seemed to be on the decline, so it was nice to be reminded that it could still happen. To our surprise, they declined our invitation to a debrief in Ambleside!
A 58-year-old woman suffered a suspected heart attack. She was carried from the fell and handed over to the ambulance service for further treatment, and transfer to hospital.
While descending from the previous callout team members came across a number of other people in various sized groups, all making heavy going of descending without torches. One of these groups included a woman in the advanced stages of exhaustion. All were escorted to the valley bottom and a number were given hot drinks and taken to their cars to prevent a worsening of their exhausted state. Very few of either these people, or the people from the previous group were equipped for the winter conditions that prevailed on this day, or for the early onset of darkness.
A 19-year-old woman slipped about 5 metres below Bowfell summit and damaged her knee. She was treated at the scene and then taken by helicopter to Carlisle. The remaining 15 or so of her party were then escorted down, not having a torch among them.
Eighteen mountain bikers were reported missing en route from Wasdale to Great Langdale. We located 13 of them, the other 5 having not started out. They were all OK, but making slow progress. They were escorted to the valley floor and then transported to their accommodation. A bit of a shambles, and a major under-estimation of the difficulties to be encountered on their chosen route.
While dealing with the previous incident, we were alerted to an elderly woman with a suspected lower leg fracture. After some problems finding her due to the confused state of her elderly husband, she was evacuated from the fell with the assistance of Coniston MRT and taken to Kendal Hospital in the team's ambulance.
A 65-year-old man, walking with friends, collapsed. Despite the efforts of his friends and two passing nurses, he was pronounced dead at the scene by the teams doctor. This was the first fatality we have had to deal with for almost two years.
A woman reported her husband overdue at their rendezvous, the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, after his walk in the fells at the end of Langdale. She had dropped him off at the ODG that morning and was to meet him there at around 4pm that afternoon. After being 3 1/2 hours overdue, she reported the matter to the Police. A team member went to the "Old" to interview the woman to get more information, and located the missing man in the bar of the ODG, exactly where he was supposed to be.
A 73-year-old woman with a history of heart problems collapsed with chest pains while out walking with a group. This is normally outside our area, but due to the potential seriousness of her condition and the time delay in standing down our team and mobilising Coniston MRT, we attended. She was treated with oxygen and monitored, then transferred to a county ambulance.
A man slipped and sustained a lower leg fracture. While he was waiting for us to arrive he also became hypothermic. He was treated by team members and then taken to Furness by a helicopter from RAF Boulmer.
A man ghyll scrambling, alone, fell about 30 ft sustaining spinal, leg and hand injuries. He was treated and, with the help of Kendal MRT, stretchered to our ambulance, and taken to hospital.
A person was reported to be 'drunk' and unresponsive on Loughrigg by a man out walking early. We were asked to take a look by the Police. When we got there and examined the woman, we found an empty whisky bottle and a very large quantity of Paracetomol unaccounted for. The woman was deeply unconscious. She was stabilised at the scene and then taken to Kendal Hospital. She was very ill and was transferred to Furness General. She remained very ill for a few days, and then started to recover.
A 58-year-old American woman fractured her ankle after slipping. She was treated with a splint and pain relief at the scene and then carried down the fell. She was unable to stop crying, and was still crying the next day in hospital. We don't carry a cure for this!
This woman slipped and fractured her ankle when walking with her dogs. A helicopter in Ambleside assisted in her evacuation. Team members walked the dogs off. There's money to be made in dog walking, if I'm not mistaken.
A 31-year-old male became cragfast in Mill Ghyll. Team members abseiled to him and helped him to safety. He was unhurt and able to continue under his own steam.
A 14-year-old French boy was hit on the head when Ghyll scrambling with a party. If he'd been wearing a helmet, his injuries would have been much less serious, but he wasn't. He ought to have been wearing a helmet, but he wasn't. I'm sure every outdoor centres' code of practice says he should have been wearing a helmet, but he wasn't. Common sense says he should have been wearing a helmet, but he wasn't. Still, his injuries weren't life threatening. Just a few stitches and a big headache. Warning. If you're sending your kids off on an activity holiday, don't take their safety for granted.
An 8-year-old French boy got separated from his Aunt and Uncle on the summit of Pike O'Blisco. Firstly, we had to find his Aunt and Uncle, who where still on the fell and then found the boy, on the road near Chapel Stile. This, in case you didn't know, is some distance from Pike O'Blisco!
Our ambulance was requested to assist the Amulance Service with a woman taken ill with thrombosis at a guest house, where the lane was to narrow for their ambulance to get to.
A 54-year-old man slipped and sustained a serious head wound and possible skull fracture. He was carried down from the fell and taken to Westmorland General Hospital in our ambulance.
We were requested by the Police to recover four elderly people from their car, which had caught fire on Wrynose Pass, rendering it useless. The normal vehicle rescue service was unable to attend for an hour and the occupants were reported to be very cold. They were brought down to our base in Ambleside. The car was recovered later by the RAC.
This father and his three sons became lost in mist. They phoned for help, but were not able to give us much idea of their location. The battery on the phone went flat, so we couldn't talk to them any more. With help from Patterdale MRT they were eventually located in Troutbeck, lost and exhausted. Their common sense was never recovered.
This 21-year-old woman slipped and sustained a leg injury. She was evacuated to the valley, where the team's doctor examined her leg and diagnosed Low Pain Tolerance. She was allowed to go on to her planned overnight accommodation, and required no hospital treatment.
This young man was reported as having severe spinal injuries. A helicopter was requested to help. On examination his injuries were not found to be serious.
A 79-year-old woman slipped and tumbled, sustaining head, spinal and rib injuries. She was treated and evacuated to Furness General Hospital by helicopter. This was the 1750th rescue attended by the team since its formation.
A woman slipped and tumbled 25 ft down steep fellside. She sustained rib and spinal injuries and minor head injuries. She started to descend, but then collapsed. She was treated at the scene and then evacuated by helicopter to Furness General Hospital.
A woman slipped and tumbled 25 ft down steep fellside. She sustained rib and spinal injuries and minor head injuries. She started to descend, but then collapsed. She was treated at the scene and then evacuated by helicopter to Furness General Hospital.
A 63-year-old American woman slipped on steep fellside and sustained a fractured ankle. We treated her injuries and during the stretcher carry, discussed the difference between the English (MRT) and American sense of humour.
A 45-year-old local man fell 40 ft from the third pitch of this route. He sustained a pneumothorax, surgical emphysema, multiple broken ribs, a bruised heart and a flail chest segment( and a small cut to his leg!). He was treated on scene and evacuated by helicopter to Furness General Hospital. He was in a very serious condition and required paralysing and ventilating in intensive care for several days.
An elderly Belgian woman slipped and sustained a possible wrist fracture. First aid was given through an interpreter and she was taken to hospital in Kendal.
A 17-year-boy slipped and injured his ankle. The injury was minor and the boy seemed to be milking it for all it was worth. We do have a team member or two who are of the opinion that a good slap is an excellent cure for certain ailments. It may have been appropriate here, but there were too many witnesses. Came from just round the corner from my Mum's old house. It's a small world.
Three young people were on a final hike before an expedition to Kenya, and were being "shadowed" by two supervisors. One of the two females suffered a minor ankle injury. One of the supervisors left them to fetch a car to meet them, so they could descend by an easier route, but took 17 hours to reach Langdale! The group were eventually located by Wasdale MRT and were escorted in to Langdale. Sometimes you have to wonder who supervises the supervisors. A traditional "de-brief" followed at our base. Fortunately the Wasdale team didn't have to walk home.
Two suspected drug addicts went on a bender of methadone and hydrocodeine and were found after two days, lying in the sun, dehydrated and delirious. Their lifestyle had taken its toll and one had a heart condition and the other severe problems with their legs. Because of their conditions a helicopter was requested and it flew them to Furness General Hospital. This was possibly a failed suicide attempt.
A 20 year old American was reported as suffering from a heart condition after camping the night at Red Tarn. He was monitored and found to be tachicardic. This may have been a medical condition, or may have been caused by his hideously overweight rucsac.
A 55-year-old man could not get up the Bad Step and agreed to meet his friends on the summit by going round. Surprise, surprise he never turned up. His friends looked for him. We initially checked the roads, and were just about to scale up the search when he turned up in a taxi having gone down to Brotherikeld. He was unhurt, but £35 worse off.
This 76-year-old man collapsed and was pulseless and not breathing. A passing doctor administered CPR and revived the man. He was taken to Furness General Hospital by helicopter. A very lucky man by anyone's standards.
Kendal MRT assisted us in the treatment and evacuation of this woman after she slipped and sustained an ankle fracture. She was taken to hospital in Kendal MRT's ambulance.
This local woman dislocated her kneecap when she fell after her dog pulled her over. You feed them, let them sleep on the end of your bed, chase them round with a plastic bag, take them to the vets and this is the thanks you get!
We were asked to assist the Ambulance Service with the evacuation of this 49-year-old woman who had suffered minor facial injuries after a diabetic collapse.
A man descending a gully after completing a climb took a tumble and sustained injuries to his spine, leg and hand. He was immobilised with our vacuum mattress and a cervical collar and evacuated to the valley bottom. It turned out that he had fractured his C5 and C6 vertebrae. It's a good job we didn't let him walk down, as he wanted to.
An Australian woman on a bus tour of the UK slipped and fractured her ankle. Ironically she was one of the best equipped in terms of footwear amongst the group. Some people are just unlucky.
A 68-year-old woman suffered a recurrence of an old knee injury. Someone was sent on ahead to get us, but she made good time and arrived at the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel at the same time as we did. The woman was examined at our base and allowed to go home.
The husband of a 38-year-old woman phoned 999 when she slipped and dislocated her finger a few hundred yards above the bridge near the bottom of the Ghyll. We were a little surprised at their apparent inability to deal with this one themselves.
We were on our way home from the previous incident when we were notified of a second incident. The helicopter returning from the previous incident assisted again, making our lives a lot easier.
This man found himself at the top of this popular crag. He slipped and fell off, falling over 100 ft. He was seriously injured, sustaining head, arm, leg and spinal injuries. It really is amazing what the body is capable of surviving. He was airlifted to Furness General Hospital.
A 67-year-old man collapsed on a bridleway just above Elterwater Hall. He was treated on scene and transferred to an ambulance for transport to hospital in Kendal.
This man slipped on the lake shore path and sustained damage to his kneecap. He was carried UP- HILL(!) to the road. This is something we are quite unaccustomed to and don't want to make a habit of.
Tongue Ghyll seems to be proving popular this year. This woman slipped and injured her ankle. She was picked up in our Landrover and driven down the fell.
A 14-year-old boy hit a rock while sledging. He sustained lacerations and suspected fractures as a result. Taken to Lancaster Royal Infirmary for treatment.
A young man with a history of blackouts suffered one on the bank of Mill Ghyll, causing him to fall 25 ft into the Ghyll. He sustained a suspected jaw fracture and spinal injuries. He was treated and evacuated by stretcher to an ambulance.
A man reported his Grandfather overdue for a rendezvous at Silverthwaite Car Park. He was tracked down in the Britannia Inn, Elterwater, well on his way to inebriation.
A man slipped on Jacks Rake and sustained a dislocated shoulder and collar bone injuries. He was treated for pain and immobilised at the scene and then airlifted to Furness General Hospital.
A party of five plus a man and wife met up, although hopelessly lost in the vicinity of Scandale Pass. They phoned 999 on a mobile and were talked down to Scandale Pass, where they were met by team members and escorted off.
A man was reported as in this area having a broken leg. We looked and couldn't find him. Further enquiries to the Police revealed that they had misheard Tongue Ghyll for Tom Ghyll and should have called out Coniston. This was done and the man was rescued.
A group allowed one of its inexperienced members to become separated near the summit of Pike O'Blisco. Despite his lack of map and compass he was located making his own way back to Langdale.
Three experienced walkers were struck by lightning while descending The Band. All three suffered burns and shock. They were evacuated to Furness General Hospital by helicopter.
We were notified by the Police of an incident at a place I'll call Blea Blurr. Two men were lost in a blizzard and one had suffered leg injuries. The Police didn't get the second part of the name. It was lost in the atmospheric fug that accompanies many mobile phone calls in this area. We checked out our Blea Tarn and Rigg and found nothing. Keswick and Wasdale checked out their own Bleas, and found nothing. Penrith Team checked out their Blea water and found them. After a thorough soaking, a bit of exercise and a lot of head scratching we went home.
A lone American fellwalker was rather surprised to see us during his slow, but steady descent of Nab Scar. His light was reported as that of someone in difficulty, but he was OK.
People camping at Angle Tarn heard shouts for help. They phoned us and went to investigate. They found a husband and wife benighted and without a torch. They contacted us and informed us that they had room for them in their tents and would point them in the right direction in the morning. They had suffered no injuries so we left them to it. They were reported missing from their Grasmere Guest House at 10am the following day, by which time they were well on their way down. Lesson to be learned? Take a torch!
A solo man was reported overdue at home. His route card left at home suggested an epic walk, and didn't narrow things down much. With the assistance of Keswick and Furness MRTs and SARDA Lakes he was located by a dog in Rossett Ghyll, benighted. He thought he was on The Band, this being a lot closer to his actual location than some other people we have retrieved this year. No amount of debriefing from us was going to assist him through the "debrief" he was going to get when he got home.
A Father (41) and Son (21) were reported overdue at home. A search was organised with the help of Keswick MRT and SARDA Lakes. They were eventually located by LAMRT on Gunson Knott. They were cold and benighted. Team members stocked them up with hot drinks and food and they were escorted off the hill at first light. Last heard on the phone to home promising to never go walking in the winter again!
A woman slipped and fractured her ankle. It's along way down from Loft Crag so we had plenty of opportunity to share her pain, and to be amused by some of the side effects of Morphine. (You giggle a lot, chatter incessantly and the rest is our secret.)
A woman slipped in her wellington boots and possibly fractured her ankle. If you do something daft like this, you've got to be ready for some abuse. It's all part of casualty care you know. Leaving your boots in the car doesn't help.
A couple reported themselves in difficulty in the mist near Three Tarns, by mobile phone. There were found quickly and escorted down. The Great Langdale Nannying Service PLC strikes again!
We were alerted by mobile phone that these three were unhurt, but lost in the vicinity of Stickle Tarn. A search, using dogs and man power was organised, but nothing was found. A little later we were contacted from the Old Dungeon Ghyll to say that they had found there way down. An interview with them revealed that they had actually been near Angle Tarn (a subtle, but significant difference). Where I went to school, we would have called people like this "Divvies", and there are several popular contemporary expressions, that decency prevents me from using, that would be appropriate.
A 30-year-old man tore his knee ligaments near Harrison Stickle. A Team member, fell running in the area, was able to summon the assistance of a helicopter in the area with his MR radio, thereby saving the man (and us!) hours of pain and misery. Fell runners are a strange bunch of people, but they have there uses.
A couple of climbers were reported as overdue from climbing on this popular crag. A small search of the area was organised and they were found safe and well, but benighted. With the aid of our torches, they were helped to the valley bottom.
A 67-year-old man collapsed on the shore of Rydal Water, while walking. An ambulance was summoned first. They treated his condition, but required our assistance to evacuate him.
A 40-year-old man sustained an ankle injury near Esk Hause. His friends carried him as far as the top of Rossett Ghyll and we arrived and treated him and carried him the rest of the way.
Injuries to this man were reported as serious. A helicopter was requested to assist but was unable to get close due to the weather. Investigation found the injuries to be quite minor, but we carried him down anyway. We were assisted by Kendal and RAF Leeming MRTs on a long and demanding carry off.
A 65-year-old woman slipped sustained a possible ankle fracture. We see more female ankles in a year, than a Victorian Dandy might have seen in his life. Can I write that? Is it sexist? Well I need to write something a bit different about ankles now and again!
A voluntary patient from a London Hospital took trip to the Lakes. Her bag was found in Grasmere, with a suicide note. A search was mounted. She was located, semi conscious, by a SARDA handler and his dog, and then treated for Alcohol, Barbiturate and pain killer overdose.
Every now and again a needless and tragic accident occurs, the victim of which will suffer for the rest of their lives. A 30-year-old man fell about 35ft. while climbing, suffering head, arm, leg and very serious spinal injuries in the process. He was lowered to the base of the crag by his second, and then treated by the Team, and evacuated by helicopter to Preston. His spinal cord had been severed. They had set out after dark, after allegedly consuming a substantial quantity of alcohol, and were climbing despite advice from friends.
A 72-year-old woman suffered a suspected heart attack. She continued down, having taken her own medication, and we met her near the road, and escorted her the rest of the way, to a waiting ambulance.
Four boys on a D. of E. expedition were reported missing overnight. Their supervisor had been to check on them at their campsite at Grisedale Tarn, but had been unable to locate them, so reported them missing. We located the boys making their way to Grasmere, having spent the night at their campsite at......... Grisedale Tarn. They had pitched their tent in the lee of small mound to protect it from the wind, and had heard the supervisor calling them, but had been unable to attract his attention. Boys 1: Supervisor 0.
Three men were injured when they were blown off their feet by a freak gust of wind while trying to escape rock fall. Two of the men had serious injuries, including head, leg and arm. The other was less serious. The two were airlifted to Hospital, and the third was walked down after refusing to go in the helicopter. We were assisted by Bowland \Pennine Fell Rescue Team, who were in the area.
We were alerted to this incident by an informantdescending to Kirkstone Pass summit. A vehicle was dispatched but further investigation confirmed that Patterdale MRT had been notified of this incident and were already dealing with it.
An 11-year-old girl sustained an ankle fracture. Belles Knot is along way up, or down, depending on your point of view, so Kendal MRT met us half way down, and in their usual sporting fashion, helped us the rest of the way. They also supplied some water, for which we were in great need.
A figure was reported as stationary on "Pluto", a popular and difficult rock climb. He was reported as being in this position for a long time. By the time we arrived he had moved on. We had a brief chat with two men descending from the crag and established that it was them who had been seen, and that no-one was in trouble. A complete lack of knowledge of rock climbing, and a pint or two of beer may have clouded our informants judgement slightly.
This 35-year-old man suffered an epileptic fit while descending after a days walk. He had come round by the time we got there, so we walked down with him. It was a hot, sunny day, and we were a little surprised at the amount of clothing he was wearing. We have seen people wearing less when it's snowing.
This Danish woman, having received the dodgy advice that it was O.K to walk on the high fells in modern sports sandals, then went and slipped and fractured her ankle. Again assisted by Kendal MRT on a long and hot carry down. The advice came from two separate sources, both of whom should have known better. It took two team members to carry down here 'luggage'!
A 19-year-old woman suffered a recurrence of an old injury while helping with footpath repairs above high Red Tarn. We treated her and were carrying her down when another member of the same party suffered a similar fate. We called Kendal MRT in to assist at this point.
A 44-year-old woman slipped while descending from climbing and sustained a dislocated shoulder and knee injuries. She was treated on the hill and airlifted to Furness General Hospital by RAF Boulmer.
A 12-year-old boy was allowed to swim out to an island, but only just made it and became stranded on the island, to exhausted and cold to swim back. The remoteness of the tarn meant that no boat was available, so a Team member donned a life jacket and swam out. Both were then pulled back to safety. A little better judgement of the boys swimming ability by the Father would have prevented this incident.
This man tumbled down the fellside, sustaining a dislocated shoulder and other arm injuries on the way. He made his own way down, and we met him at the car park.
We were requested to assist the Ambulance Service with a young boy who was being brought ashore to receive treatment for head injuries when he was hit by the boats boom.
A 30-year-old local woman was seriously injured when she fell from her horse. The horse tried to finish the job by rolling on her. She suffered head, neck, arm and spinal injuries.
This 75-year-old woman tripped and suffered multiple injuries, including head and leg. She was also suffering from Vertigo, although in which order these things happened, we're not quite sure.
Imagine the surprise of the teachers from this school, when a second of there D. of E. expeditions had to be rescued. (See previous incident) This time it was a severe asthma attack, possible triggered by swimming in the cold Tarn, when camped for the night. We all went to bed very late.
Two 16-year-old girls on a D. of E expedition collapsed, suffering from severe dehydration, on a very hot day. Both were given I.V. fluids and oxygen and taken to hospital.
This 52-year-old American woman suffered a badly dislocated kneecap after she had slipped and landed on it. It's kneecaps in room 101 for me, and eyeballs. I can't do them. For some people it's spiders, for others, flying, for me it's knee caps and eyeballs (and Austin Maestro's, but this is neither the time or the place)
It's just possible that this womans injuries were not as bad as she was making out, and the sight of a helicopter passing close by prompted her to call us by mobile phone. Anyway, once she had been airlifted to the valley bottom, she was able to hobble to her car, to go to Hospital, we think.
A search was organised, with assistance from SARDA, to locate a man who was reported as several hours overdue from his walk. He turned up as Team Members were being deployed on the fells. His dogs short legs was cited as the reason he was late back.
A man and wife in their 40's became lost and used a mobile phone to dial 999 for help. They had no map or compass, and not much common sense. They claimed to be on Bowfell, heading north, but we couldn't find them, and they were eventually escorted off by other walkers never to be seen again. We still don't know where they were, but they definitely weren't on Bowfell. Assisted by a helicopter from RAF Boulmer.
An ambulance was called to this man on the Cumbria Way. They treated his ankle, a probable fracture, and asked us to assist with his evacuation to the roadside.